National Forests

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on funds spent by various sources for fish and wildlife activities on national forest lands.

GAO found that: (1) between October 1987 and June 1990, fish and wildlife activities involving Forest Service staff participation totalled over $202 million; (2) such activities included revegetation of streamside areas, fencing installation, and erosion control projects to maintain or improve fish and wildlife habitat or provide for the recovery of endangered species; (3) of the $202 million, $154.6 million came from congressional appropriations to the national forest system and the remaining $47.8 million came from such outside sources as state and local governments; (4) from fiscal year (FY) 1988 through FY 1989, outside funding for fish and wildlife activities directly involving Service staff increased from about $14.7 million to about $16.7 million and totalled about $16.4 million for the first 9 months of FY 1990; and (5) financial support from outside sources included $32.1 million in cost-sharing arrangements between the Service and outside sources, $15.7 million in work performed by the Service but paid for by outside sources, and $14.7 million for activities in which the Service was not involved.